The advantages of using a convex mirror while operating a motor vehicle is widely known within the industry and among motor vehicle operators. A study by the Ford Motor Company resulted in the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) amending its standards to allow the use of convex mirrors on the passenger side exterior mirror for improved operator visibility while operating a motor vehicle and therefore greatly improving safety. After more than 20 years of experience with these convex mirrors, the NHTSA now feels that drivers are very familiar with the benefits of using a convex mirror and these drivers have the ability to adapt to the changes in depth perception created with a convex mirror.
However, the NHTSA has not adopted changes in the motor vehicle standards to allow for customer delivery of a motor vehicle with an interior convex mirror. The NHTSA standard continues to require a unit magnification mirror with at least 20 degrees of visibility to the rear of the vehicle.
A number of aftermarket convex mirrors and retrofit convex mirrors are available for purchase by the vehicle owner for modification of their motor vehicle's interior rear view mirror. These aftermarket rear view mirrors provide a convex mirror or a combination of flat and convex mirror surfaces for use by the vehicle operator. Some units are sold as replacement interior mirrors; while others are sold to retrofit onto the vehicle's existing mirror by clipping over the entire mirror frame. When these aftermarket convex mirrors are used, they prevent the operator from using the original equipment rear view mirror by either replacing the mirror or covering the entire mirror. This is an inconvenience to the vehicle owner in additional costs and loss of functionality of specialty features now common in OEM mirrors and mirror frames.
As conveniences and features are added to motor vehicles, they compete for visibility by the vehicle's driver or operator. Some of these features have resorted to displaying their information within the mirror surface or around the perimeter of the interior rear view mirror frame 32. These conveniences and features include such devices as temperature displays, compass direction, caller ID information received from cell-phones, and monitor display for rear mounted cameras. Other conveniences and features have been added to the frame around the interior rear view mirror. These conveniences and features include such devices as map lights and switches, emergency satellite call buttons, auto-dimming sensors, temperature sensors, ambient light sensors, remote control actuator buttons, and other specialty features offered by the vehicle manufacturer for specific models.
Another common aspect of modem vehicle rear view mirrors is the auto-dimming feature. The auto-dimming feature is used during nighttime driving and automatically adjusts the amount of reflected light transmitted by the rear view mirror from the vehicle headlights 39 behind the vehicle to the driver. This auto-dimming prevents night blinding the driver by bright headlamps shining from following vehicles. The auto-dimming feature has replaced the older style prismatic mirrors. The prismatic rear view mirror required the driver to manually switch the mirror between a normal view and a nighttime view.
While some manufacturers have attempted to solve the problem of inadequate driver visibility from the interior rear view mirror by combining a flat mirror and a convex mirror, these products are defective because they replace the original equipment mirror or prevent the OEM flat mirror from being used by the driver. One such product is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,517,367 entitled Rear View Mirror For Automotive Vehicle by Kim et. al. describes a universally mounted rear view mirror that combines a flat and convex mirror and allows the convex mirror to be rotated into a use and non-use position. While this device may be useful, it is inadequate for attaching to the original equipment mirror and forces the consumer to replace the entire mirror assembly and forego the specialty features available in the OEM mirror assembly. Its use is also limited to vehicles with a left-side driver.
There exists a need for a rear view mirror that reflects a wide-angle view behind a motor vehicle that can be easily attached to the original equipment mirror and can be easily and quickly moved between the in-use and non-use positions by the vehicle operator based on their needs and driving preferences.
There exists a need for a rear view mirror that reflects a wide-angle view behind a motor vehicle that can be easily attached to the original equipment mirror and be easily and quickly moved between the in-use and non-use positions by the vehicle operator based on the need to use features located within the OEM mirror area or around the OEM mirror frame.
There exists a need to eliminate the adjustment required by the vehicle operator when switching between a wide-angle rear view mirror and a normal rear view mirror to eliminate the driver's own reflected image.
There also exists a need to maintain a consistency and commonality in the reflected rear view images when switching between a wide-angle and a normal rear view image so the motor vehicle operator may safely switch between these views and improve safe motor vehicle operation.